Henry Adams of Braintree, called thus because he was one of the earliest or first settlers in that part of the Massachusetts Bay designated “Mt. Wollaston,” which was incorporated in 1640 as the town of Braintree. It included what is now Quincy, Braintree and Randolph, Mass.

He is believed to have arrived in Boston with his wife, eight sons and a daughter, in 1632 or 1633. The colonial authorities at Boston allotted to him 40 acres of land at “The Mount,” for the ten persons in his family, Feb. 24, 1639-40.

The name of his wife is not known, nor where and when she died. It has been believed that she returned to England with her son John and daughter Ursula, and died there, which appears not improbable. Henry Adams died in Braintree, Oct. 6, 1646, and was buried on the 8^th.

His will was proved June 8, 1647, and is as follows:

“First, my will is that my sonne Peter and John, and my daughter Ursula, shall have the grounde in the neck, both upland and meadow during the term I was to enjoy it, until it returne into the towne’s hands againe, from whom I had it; also the aker in the mill fields: my will is that my bookes shall be divided amongst all my children, that my wife shall have and enjoy all my other goods so long as shee live unmarried, and if shee marry, then my will is y’t Joseph, Edward and my daughter Ursula should enjoy all my ground in the fielde y’t lieth on the way to Weymouth Ferry, and my house lott, with all the houses and fruit trees and all my movables at the death or marriage of my wife, provided that and their mother shall pay to my sonne Samuel that which is due to him for the ground I bought of him, to be paid in convenient tyme; but in case God soe deal with my wife that she bee constrained to make use of something by way of salee, shee may: finally, for movalbles, my will is that my sonne Peter and John shall have an equal share with my sonne Joseph and Edward, and my daughter Ursula.” [See N.E. Hist. And Gene. Register, Vol. VII, p. 35 (1853)].

That Henry Adams came from Devonshire on the south coast of England, has become a current and fixed belief, from the fact that his great, great grandson, President John Adams, erected a monument to his memory in the old church yard at Quincy with the inscription,

“In memory of Henry Adams who took his fight from the Dragon persecution in Devonshire, England, and alighted with eight sons near Mt. Wallaston. One of the sons returned to England; and after taking time to explore the country, four removed to Medfield, and two to Chelmsford. One only, Joseph, who lies here at his left and, remained here, -- an original proprietor in the township of Braintree.”

The monument commemorates “the piety, humility, simplicity, prudence, patience, temperance, frugality, industry and perseverance” of the Adams ancestors.

President John Quincy Adams dissented from this opinion of his father that Henry Adams came from Devonshire.

After giving the matter particular and thorough investigation, both in this country and in England, he published it as his conviction that Henry Adams was from Braintree in the county of Essex, on the east coast of England. “The statement in the Alden Collection,” he says, “that the first Henry came from Devonshire was received the collector of epitaphs from my father; but I believe it was not from Devonshire but from Braintree in the county of Essex, that he came. My father supposed that he formed part of the company that came with Gov. Winthrop in 1630, most of whom were from Devonshire. But at the time my father formed this opinion, Gov. Winthrop’s Journal had not been published.”

Winthrop’s Journal, I. 37, says, “1632: 14 Aug; The Braintree Company which had begun to settle down at Mt. Wollaston by order of Court, removed to Newtown. These were Mr. Hooker’s Company.” [See Family Memorial by Elisha Thayer; Note p. 38]

Hooker himself arrived in Sept. 1633, but his Company, which was mostly made up from Chelmsford – perhaps also from Braintree and other neighboring villages of Essex county, - had arrived the year before. Hence it appears highly probably that Henry Adams from Braintree in Essex joined Hooker’s Company and arrived in Boston in 1632. Dr. James Savage, author of the Genealogical Dictionary of early first-comers of New England, concurs in the opinion of President John Quincy Adams.

The brothers Adams [sons] were among the active citizens of Chelmsford, in England.

Moreover, there may have been other persons of the Adams name who came in Hooker’s company, and removed with him from Newtown to Hartford and vicinity. They may have been kindred of Henry Adams.

It is a matter of regret that so little has been preserved and is positively known of the ancestry, life and character of the noted progenitor of the Adams family of Quincy. It is known that he was a malster as well as a yeoman, or farmer, and a plain, unassuming man of tact and ability, who came to America for a better opportunity for his large family. There is nothing to show that he bore any titles, or assumed any rank among nobility

While there were many different styles of insignia in use – as many as twenty-eight different coats-of-arms, it is said upon good authority, in the Adams family, there is nothing to indicate which, if any at all were ever made use of by Henry Adams.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Andrew N. Adams

Other facts regarding the author: Andrew N. Adams was also author of the History of Fair Haven, Vt., and Member of the New England Historic Genealogical Society; also, great, great grandson of Dea. James Adams of old Londonderry, (now Derry) N.H., a graduate of the Divinity School of Harvard University, formerly a member of the Legislature and Senate of Vermont, and Genealogist of the Adams Families of New England.

Note: The more I use “The Genealogical History of Henry Adams of Braintree…,” the more admiration I gain for the tasks that Andrew N. Adams took on to complete this history. I imagine that he was a wonderful letter writer, as many of the family histories seem to be gleamed from written correspondence  with Adams’ all over the United States and the other facts seem to be taken from town records and perhaps even census records. The degree of accuracy for this information is better than anyone might expect. I have checked many, many facts and rarely do I find errors. I believe Andrew Adams was dedicated to creating a genealogy that the Adams descendants can use for all existence and I think he did just that. I hope to learn more about the author and his methods of gathering and compiling the information in his book. As I do, I will certainly share the information. Myra Sue Adams Chiles (msac)